Practice

As I prepared for months to perform for Penn & Teller, I utilized a specific practice technique to help me be TV-ready. I spent one month practicing my trick without speaking a word, like Teller. Then I spent another month focusing on just the speaking part, like Penn. Conveniently, I called it “practicing my Penn & Teller Brain.”

This special practice technique can be used in magic, music, or any other activity where you have to talk and move at the same time. And it shows us that if we’re having difficulty on making a breakthrough, we may not need to practice harder or more often. Instead, as the articles below touch upon, we just have to practice smarter.

One of the earliest lessons I learned from a magic mentor, Michael Ammar, is that practice does not make perfect. Rather, it makes permanent. Understanding how to practice can make the biggest difference in our progress.

The important point to remember is that practice can make perfect only if the right type of practice is used.

Before you dive into practicing properly and learning new things, it’s important to prepare your mind. The last article in this issue stresses the importance of clearing our overflowing cup, before trying to fill it again.

What Are You Practicing?

It’s also incredibly important to enjoy practicing and to keep an “always a student” mindset. That’s why, this week, I am a teacher and mentor for kids ages 11-19 at Tannen’s Magic Camp, which is exactly as geeky and amazing as you imagine it to be. I’ve been teaching at this camp for more than a dozen years. One week of the year, magicians from across the US come together to teach the future stars of magic. If you’re really fascinated by this, you can even watch the documentary film, Magic Camp, where I make a quick cameo.

Can you spot me?

Reply and tell me—what are you practicing?

As always, I’d love to hear from you with thoughts, ideas or links to anything fascinating you may be reading. ♠